Sealed substrate carriers and systems and methods for transporting substrates

ABSTRACT

An electronic device manufacturing system is disclosed. The system includes a processing tool having one or more processing chambers each adapted to perform an electronic device manufacturing process on one or more substrates; a substrate carrier adapted to couple to the system and carry one or more substrates; and a component adapted to create a sealed environment relative to at least a portion of the substrate carrier and to substantially equalize the sealed environment with an environment within the substrate carrier. Methods of the invention are described as are numerous other aspects.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/983,186 filed Oct. 27, 2007, and entitled “SEALED SUBSTRATE CARRIERS AND METHODS OF USING SAME” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to electronic device manufacturing and more particularly to sealed substrate carriers and methods of using the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Manufacturing of electronic devices typically involves performing a sequence of procedures with respect to a substrate such as a silicon substrate, a glass plate, a polymer substrate, etc. (Such substrates may also be referred to as wafers, whether patterned or unpatterned.) These steps may include polishing, deposition, etching, photolithography, heat treatment, and so forth. Usually a number of different processing steps may be performed in a single processing system or “tool” which includes a plurality of processing chambers. However, it is generally the case that other processes may be required to be performed at other processing locations within a fabrication facility, and it is accordingly necessary that substrates be transported within the fabrication facility from one processing location to another. Depending upon the type of electronic device to be manufactured, there may be a relatively large number of processing steps required to be performed at many different processing locations within the fabrication facility.

It is conventional to transport substrates from one processing location to another within substrate carriers such as pods, cassettes, containers and so forth. It is also conventional to employ automated substrate carrier transport devices, such as automatic guided vehicles, overhead transport systems, substrate carrier handling robots, etc., to move substrate carriers from location to location within the fabrication facility or to transfer substrate carriers from or to a substrate carrier transport device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, an electronic device manufacturing system is provided. The system includes a processing tool having one or more processing chambers each adapted to perform an electronic device manufacturing process on one or more substrates; a substrate carrier having a sealed environment, the substrate carrier adapted to couple to the system and carry one or more substrates; and a component adapted to dock with the substrate carrier, the component adapted to create a sealed environment relative to at least a portion of the substrate carrier and to substantially equalize the sealed environment at the component with the sealed environment within the substrate carrier.

In another aspect, an electronic device manufacturing system is provided. The electronic device manufacturing system includes a processing tool having a load lock chamber and one or more processing chambers each adapted to perform an electronic device manufacturing process on a substrate; a factory interface coupled to the processing tool; and a load port coupled to the factory interface wherein the load port is adapted to support a substrate carrier containing one or more substrates and the factory interface is adapted to transfer substrates from the substrate carrier to the load lock chamber of the processing tool wherein the load port is further adapted to create a sealed environment relative to at least a portion of the substrate carrier and to substantially equalize the sealed environment with an environment within the substrate carrier.

In yet another aspect, an electronic device manufacturing system is provided. The electronic device manufacturing system includes a processing tool having a load lock chamber and one or more processing chambers each adapted to perform an electronic device manufacturing process on a substrate; a factory interface coupled to the processing tool; and a load port coupled to the factory interface wherein the load port is adapted to support a substrate carrier containing one or more substrates and to transfer the substrate carrier to the load lock chamber of the processing tool through the factory interface wherein the load lock chamber is further adapted to create a sealed environment relative to at least a portion of the substrate carrier and to substantially equalize the sealed environment with an environment within the substrate carrier.

In another aspect, a method of transporting substrates within an electronic device manufacturing system is provided. The method includes providing a sealed environment in a substrate carrier; creating a sealed environment around at least a portion of the substrate carrier at a component of the electronic device manufacturing system; and substantially equalizing the sealed environment at the component with the sealed environment of the substrate carrier.

In another aspect, a method of transporting substrates within an electronic device manufacturing system is provided. The method includes providing a substrate carrier having a door and a sealed environment; docking the substrate carrier to a component of the electronic device manufacturing system; providing a sealed environment around at least a portion of the substrate carrier at the component; and substantially equalizing the sealed environments between the component and the substrate carrier before opening the door.

In another aspect, a substrate carrier adapted to couple to an electronic device processing system component and carry one or more substrates is provided. The substrate carrier includes a main body; a carrier door coupled to the main body thereby forming an internal cavity adapted to receive the one or more substrates; a resilient sealing member on at least one of the carrier door and main body forming the seal between the main body and the carrier door; one or more ports coupled to the internal cavity for evacuating and/or adapted to allow filling the substrate carrier with one of a an inert gas and a non-reactive gas; and a sealing surface provided on the main body and adapted to seal against a corresponding surface feature of the electronic device processing system component.

Numerous other aspects are provided in accordance with these and other aspects of the invention. Other features and aspects of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sealed carrier apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a sealed carrier apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of an embodiment of a system interfacing with the sealed carrier apparatus of the present invention at a factory interface.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of an embodiment of a system interfacing with the sealed carrier apparatus of the present invention at a load lock chamber.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide sealed substrate carriers and methods for using such sealed substrate carriers. For example, the sealed substrate carriers may be hermetically and/or vacuum sealed to reduce and/or prevent exposure of substrates stored within the substrate carriers to particulates or other contaminants, oxidants, other reactive species and/or the like. In some embodiments, a substrate carrier may be evacuated to a suitable vacuum level and/or filled with a suitable inert or otherwise non-reactive gas such nitrogen, argon, etc. prior to transport of the substrate carrier. In this manner, substrates stored within the substrate carrier may be transported without being exposed to particulates, contaminants, oxidants or other undesirable substances during transport and/or prior to or after processing.

In some embodiments, various apparatus may be provided for opening, closing, pumping, purging, loading and/or unloading such sealed substrate carriers. For example, a system component, such as a load port of a processing tool (e.g., of a factory interface) may be adapted to create a sealed environment around all or a portion of a sealed substrate carrier (such as a door of the sealed substrate carrier). The sealed environment at the component then may be substantially “equalized” with the environment in the sealed substrate carrier. For instance, in embodiments in which the substrate carrier is evacuated to a predetermined vacuum level after loading with substrates, the sealed environment at the component may be considered substantially equalized if evacuated to a substantially similar vacuum level before a door of the substrate carrier is opened. This may be accomplished by one or more pump-purge cycles. By substantially similar, it is meant that the vacuum level is substantially the same, but may vary from each other by about 10% or less.

Likewise, in embodiments in which the substrate carrier may contain an inert gas, the sealed environment at the component may be considered substantially equalized when the substrate carrier and the component are filled with a substantially similar gas, i.e., gases of the same type. The inert gases and/or nonreactive gases may also be provided at substantially the same temperature and pressure in the component and the substrate carrier before a door of the substrate carrier is opened. However, a temperature of the gases may be up to about 20% different, and the absolute pressure of the substrate carrier gas and the component gas may be as much as about 10% different.

In the case of an inert gas and non-reactive gas mixtures, the molar percent of each gas in the mixtures should be substantially the same. However, the molar percentages of the gases may be up to about 5% different.

In other embodiments, the system component may be a load lock chamber of a processing tool. The load lock chamber may be adapted to create a sealed environment around all or a portion of a sealed substrate carrier (such as a door of the sealed substrate carrier). The sealed environment at the load lock chamber then may be equalized with the environment in the sealed substrate carrier. For instance, in embodiments in which the substrate carrier is evacuated to a predetermined vacuum level after loading, the sealed environment at the load lock chamber may be evacuated to a similar vacuum level before a door of the substrate carrier is opened. Likewise, in embodiments in which the substrate carrier may contain an inert gas, the sealed environment at the load lock chamber may be filled with a similar inert gas (e.g., via one or more pump-purge cycle(s)) before a door of the substrate carrier is opened.

The present invention may be employed with both large lot and small lot size substrate carriers. As used herein, the term “small lot size” substrate carrier or “small lot” carrier may refer to a carrier that is adapted to hold fewer substrates than a conventional “large lot size” carrier which typically holds thirteen or twenty-five substrates. As an example, a small lot size carrier may be adapted to hold a maximum of twelve or fewer substrates. In other examples, a small lot size carrier may be adapted to hold a maximum of five or less substrates. In some embodiments, other small lot size carriers may be employed (e.g., small lot size carriers that hold a maximum of one, two, three, four or more than five substrates, but less than that of a large lot size carrier). In general, each small lot size carrier may hold too few substrates for human transport of carriers to be commercially viable within an electronic device or other manufacturing facility. Consequently, mechanized/automated transport of small lot size carriers is typically employed.

Further details of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to FIGS. 1-4 herein.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first exemplary sealable substrate carrier 100 provided in accordance with the present invention. With reference to FIG. 1, the carrier 100 may include a carrier door 102 coupled to a main body 104 carrier door coupled to the main body thereby forming an internal cavity adapted to receive one or more substrates (wafers, glass plates, etc.). The carrier door 102 may be selectively removed (opened) to allow access to a cavity inside region of the main body 104 where one or more substrates may be stored. Additionally, the carrier door 102 may be selectively attached to the main body 104 so as to hermetically seal and/or vacuum seal the door 102 against the main body 104. For instance, the carrier door 102 and/or main body 104 may include a resilient sealing member 106, such as an o-ring, that may compress and seal the carrier door 102 against a sealing surface 108 of the main body 104. Other configurations for sealing the carrier door 102 relative to the main body 104 may be employed.

The main body 104 may be sized to store one or more substrates therein. In some embodiments, substrate support features such as recessed shelves or slots may be employed to securely hold each substrate within the main body 104. Other supporting, clamping, retaining or similar features may be employed to secure each substrate within the main body 104.

As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 104 may include an outer flange 110 which may extend outward from the main body 104 in a radial direction. The outer flange 110 may provide a sealing surface 112 for a corresponding surface feature of a system component to which the carrier 100 interfaces, such as a load port, load lock chamber or other location (as described below). In some embodiments, the sealing surface 112 may include a resilient sealing member 114 such as an o-ring or a seal integrally bonded to the surface 112 for creating a substantially airtight and/or vacuum seal, while in other embodiments the corresponding surface feature of a component to which the substrate carrier 100 may dock, such as a load port, load lock chamber or other location, may include a resilient sealing member as described above. In some embodiments, both surfaces may include a sealing member. While the outer flange 110 is shown in FIG. 1 as being located other than at an end (e.g., in a middle region) of the main body 104, it will be understood that the outer flange 110 may be located anywhere along a length of the main body 104. For example, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second exemplary sealable substrate carrier 200 provided in accordance with the present invention in which the outer flange 110 is positioned at or near a front of the carrier 200 (e.g., near the carrier door 102).

In yet other embodiments, the outer flange 110 may be entirely eliminated, and a surface feature of a system component to which the substrate carrier may dock with (e.g., a load port, load lock chamber or other location) may seal directly against a surface of the carrier 100 or 200, such along a frontal sealing surface 108 of the main body 104 or at any other location along the main body 104 such as around a peripheral surface thereof.

Each substrate carrier 100, 200 may include one or more ports 116 for evacuating and/or filling the carrier with a gas such as an inert or non-reactive gas. The ports may be valves, such as poppet valves, gate valves, or ball valves, which may be selectively closed after evacuating and/or filling the substrate carrier 100, 200.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a first exemplary embodiment of an electronic device manufacturing system 300 provided in accordance with the present invention. The system 300 may include a processing tool 302 having a system component such as a load lock chamber 304 coupled to one or more processing chambers 306 by a central transfer chamber 308. Each processing chamber 306 may be adapted to perform an electronic device manufacturing process on a substrate.

The system 300 may also includes a factory interface 310 coupled to the processing tool 302 and one or more load ports 312 coupled to the factory interface 310. Each load port 312 may be adapted to support a substrate carrier 100, 200, or another suitable substrate carrier, containing one or more substrates. The factory interface 310 may be adapted to transfer substrates from a substrate carrier 100, 200 to a load lock chamber 304 of the processing tool 302 via a conventional substrate handler or other robot (not shown).

In some embodiments, each component (e.g., load port 312) may be adapted to create a sealed environment 314 relative to at least a portion of a substrate carrier 100, 200 and to equalize the sealed environment 314 with an environment within the substrate carrier. For example, flange 110 of a substrate carrier 100, 200 may provide the sealing surface 112 against which a corresponding surface feature 316 of the load port 312 may seal. In some embodiments, the sealing surface 112 of a carrier 100, 200 may include a resilient sealing member 114, while in other embodiments the surface feature 316 of a load port 312 may include a resilient sealing member (sealing member not explicitly shown).

In embodiments in which a substrate carrier 100, 200 is evacuated to a predetermined vacuum level after loading of the substrates, the sealed environment 314 at a load port 312 may be substantially equalized by being evacuated to a similar vacuum level before a door of the substrate carrier is opened. Likewise, in embodiments in which a substrate carrier 100, 200 contains an inert gas, the sealed environment 314 at a load port 312 may be substantially equalized by being filled with a similar inert gas (e.g., via one or more pump-purge cycle(s)) before a carrier door 102 (FIGS. 1, 2) of the substrate carrier 100, 200 is opened. Optionally, the in some embodiments, it may be desirable to equalize the environment by changing a vacuum level in the carrier 100, 200 to be substantially equal to a vacuum level that may exist at the sealed environment 314.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a second exemplary embodiment of an electronic device manufacturing system 400 provided in accordance with the present invention. The system 400 may include a processing tool 402 having a one or more load lock chambers 404 coupled to one or more processing chambers 406 by a central transfer chamber 408. Each processing chamber 406 may be adapted to perform an electronic device manufacturing process on a substrate.

The system 400 may also include a factory interface 410 coupled to the processing tool 402 and one or more load ports 412 coupled to the factory interface 410. Each load port 412 is adapted to support a substrate carrier 100, 200, or another suitable substrate carrier, containing one or more substrates. Each load port 412 and/or the factory interface 410 may be configured and adapted to transfer a substrate carrier 100, 200 to a system component such as a load lock chamber 404 of the processing tool 402 via a docking mechanism, substrate carrier handler or other mechanism (not shown).

In some embodiments, each component such as a load lock chamber 404 is adapted to create a sealed environment 414 relative to at least a portion of a substrate carrier 100, 200 and to substantially equalize the sealed environment 414 with an environment within the substrate carrier 100, 200. For example, flange 110 of a substrate carrier 100, 200 may provide the sealing surface 112 against which a corresponding surface feature 416 of the load lock chamber 404 may seal. In some embodiments, the sealing surface 112 of a carrier 100, 200 may include a resilient sealing member 114, while in other embodiments the surface feature 416 of a load lock chamber 404 may include a resilient sealing member.

In embodiments in which an environment of a substrate carrier 100, 200 is evacuated to a predetermined vacuum level after loading, the sealed environment 414 at a load lock chamber 404 may be evacuated to a substantially similar vacuum level before a door of the substrate carrier is opened. Optionally, the vacuum level of the carrier may be changed to be substantially equalized with a vacuum level of the sealed environment. Likewise, in embodiments in which a substrate carrier 100, 200 contains an inert gas, the sealed environment 414 at a load lock chamber 404 may be filled with a substantially similar inert gas (e.g., via one or more pump-purge cycle(s)) before a door of the substrate carrier is opened.

The foregoing description discloses only exemplary embodiments of the invention. Modifications of the above disclosed apparatus and methods which fall within the scope of the invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Accordingly, while the present invention has been disclosed in connection with exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood that other embodiments may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. An electronic device manufacturing system, comprising: a processing tool having one or more processing chambers each adapted to perform an electronic device manufacturing process on one or more substrates; a substrate carrier comprising a main body including a front face, a door set within the front face, and a flange which extends outward from the main body and is set back rearwardly from the front face, the substrate carrier configured to have a first interior sealed environment, the substrate carrier adapted to couple to the system and carry one or more substrates, the substrate carrier including a sealing surface on the flange surrounding the door; one or more ports integral with the substrate carrier and coupled to the first sealed environment, the one or more ports adapted for evacuating and/or filling the first sealed environment of the substrate carrier with one of an inert gas and a non-reactive gas; and one of a load port and a load lock chamber adapted to dock with the substrate carrier, and wherein a surface feature of one of the load port and the load lock chamber contacts the sealing surface of the substrate carrier situated on the substrate carrier flange to create a second sealed environment surrounding the door of the substrate carrier to substantially equalize the sealed environment within one of the load port and the load lock chamber with the first sealed environment within the substrate carrier via the one or more ports before the door of the substrate carrier is opened and wherein the sealing surface of the flange is capable of sustaining a vacuum seal between the substrate carrier and either the load port or the load lock chamber; wherein in a state that the one of the load port and the load lock chamber is docked with the substrate carrier, the one or more substrate carrier ports are within the second sealed environment.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the door is couplable to the main body so as to hermetically and/or vacuum seal the door against the main body.
 3. The system of claim 2 wherein at least one of the door and the main body include a resilient sealing member that seals the door against the main body at the sealing surface of the main body.
 4. The system of claim 1 wherein the surface feature of one of the load port and load lock chamber seals directly against the substrate carrier.
 5. The system of claim 1 comprising a factory interface coupled to the processing tool and adapted to transfer at least one of a substrate and a substrate carrier to one of the load port and the load lock chamber of the processing tool.
 6. An electronic device manufacturing system, comprising: a processing tool having a load lock chamber and one or more processing chambers each adapted to perform an electronic device manufacturing process on a substrate; a factory interface coupled to the processing tool; and a load port coupled to the factory interface; wherein the load port is adapted to support a substrate carrier containing one or more substrates and the factory interface is adapted to transfer substrates from the substrate carrier to the load lock chamber of the processing tool; wherein the substrate carrier includes a main body including a front face, a door set within the front face, and a flange which extends outward from the main body and is set back rearwardly from the front face, the substrate carrier configured to have a first sealed environment, a sealing surface positioned on the flange surrounding the door, and one or more ports integral with the substrate carrier and coupled to the first sealed environment, the ports adapted for evacuating and/or filling the first sealed environment of the substrate carrier with one of an inert gas and a non-reactive gas; wherein a surface feature of the load port contacts the sealing surface on the flange of the substrate carrier to create a second sealed environment surrounding the door of the substrate carrier to substantially equalize the second sealed environment within the load port with the first sealed environment within the substrate carrier via the ports before the door of the substrate carrier is opened and wherein the sealing surface on the substrate carrier flange is configured to be capable of sustaining a vacuum seal between the substrate carrier and the load port; wherein in a state that the surface feature of the load port contacts the sealing surface of the substrate carrier to create the second sealed environment, the one or more substrate carrier ports are within the second sealed environment.
 7. An electronic device manufacturing system, comprising: a processing tool having a load lock chamber and one or more processing chambers each adapted to perform an electronic device manufacturing process on a substrate; a factory interface coupled to the processing tool; and a load port coupled to the factory interface; wherein the load port is adapted to support a substrate carrier containing one or more substrates and to transfer the substrate carrier to the load lock chamber of the processing tool through the factory interface; wherein the substrate carrier includes a main body including a front face, a door set within the front face, and a flange which extends outward from the main body and is set back rearwardly from the front face, the substrate carrier configured to have a first sealed environment, a resilient sealing surface positioned on the flange surrounding the door, and one or more ports integral with the substrate carrier and coupled to the first sealed environment, the one or more ports adapted for evacuating and/or filling the first sealed environment of the substrate carrier with one of an inert gas and a non-reactive gas; wherein a surface feature of the load lock chamber contacts the sealing surface of the substrate carrier to create a second sealed environment surrounding the door of the substrate carrier to substantially equalize the second sealed environment within the load lock chamber with the first sealed environment within the substrate carrier via the one or more ports before the door of the substrate carrier is opened and wherein the sealing surface on the substrate carrier flange is configured to be capable of sustaining a vacuum seal between the substrate carrier and the load lock chamber; wherein in a state that the surface feature of the load lock chamber contacts the sealing surface of the substrate carrier to create the second sealed environment, the one or more substrate carrier ports are within the second sealed environment. 